New Equipment and Services

A A A
Print
Share

Overview

New Equipment and ServicesA major factor in Health Management's growth strategy is to commit substantial capital each year to purchase state-of-the-art medical equipment, which, in conjunction with physician recruitment, increases the level of quality at our hospitals and fosters the establishment of expanded medical services and programs.

Equipment and Service Additions

Health Management expects to invest approximately 5% of its annual net revenue in capital expenditures during 2009.  Examples of past investment in our hospitals include the purchase of new medical equipment and expansions detailed below:

  • Three Hyperbaric Oxygen Chambers, two at our Sebastian River Medical Center, and one at Sandhills Regional Medical Center in Hamlet, North Carolina, which is also building an entire new center to offer this therapy. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy provides a patient with 100% oxygen while comfortably resting inside a pressurized chamber. This facilitates more rapid healing of wounds that do not respond to traditional methods.
  • Digital X-ray machines were purchased for our Carlisle Regional Medical Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The new units, which replaced the old film and light box method of viewing, provide much greater detail and visual clarity. Because the images are digital, they can also be transmitted electronically in seconds and viewed by any physician with encrypted Internet access.
  • State-of-the-art lasers to shrink non-cancerous enlarged prostate glands were acquired for Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Missouri and Seven Rivers Regional Medical Center in Crystal River, Florida. It is the first laser of its kind available in the Poplar Bluff area. The lasers provide a minimally invasive procedure that vaporizes non-cancerous enlarged prostates.
  • A bone densitometer was also acquired for Seven Rivers Regional Medical Center. It provides accurate measures of bone mineral density and is useful for diagnosing and treating osteoporosis.
  • A nuclear medicine camera was acquired for Fishermen’s Hospital in Marathon, Florida. It analyzes kidney function and blood flow through the heart. The unit also scans a patient’s lungs and detects cancers and their spread, measures thyroid function and performs a host of other functions.
  • State-of-the-art Computer Aided Tomography (CT) Scanners were purchased for nine hospitals —the new replacement hospital in Carlisle, Pennsylvania; Gilmore Memorial Regional Medical Center in Amory, Mississippi; Harton Regional Medical Center in Tullahoma, Tennessee; Highlands Regional Medical Center in Sebring, Florida; Barrow Regional Medical Center in Winder, Georgia; Williamson Memorial Hospital in Williamson, West Virginia; Peace River Regional Medical Center in Port Charlotte, Florida; St. Cloud Regional Medical Center in St. Cloud, Florida; and Venice Regional Medical Center in Venice, Florida. These advanced CT scanners provide exceptional image clarity. They enable physicians to detect many life-threatening illnesses at relatively early stages and provide more timely treatment.
  • Digital Mammography Systems were installed at Seven Rivers Regional Medical Center and Midwest Regional Medical Center located in Midwest City, Oklahoma. These units employ revolutionary imaging technology that provide incredibly sharp images for breast cancer exams. These expenditures illustrate our commitment to women’s services and the early detection of breast cancer. The Seven Rivers Regional Medical Center unit is the first of its kind in the area. Previously, women had to travel to Tampa or Orlando for this exam.
  • A new laparoscopic-assisted cholecystectomy for colon cancer patients is now available at Sandhills Regional Medical Center. The new procedure features small incisions that result in less pain and fosters quicker recovery. This hospital also opened a wound care center to treat difficult wounds that resist healing, typical among diabetics.
  • A new Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Center was installed at our Medical Center of Southeastern Oklahoma in Durant, Oklahoma. The Signa®MRI system has a spacious opening that helps to eliminate patient claustrophobia. It delivers exceptionally clear images for diagnosis, clinical evaluation and subsequent treatment.
  • Charlotte Regional Medical Center in Punta Gorda, Florida, opened the only comprehensive dialysis center in Charlotte County, providing service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
  • Lake Norman Regional Medical Center became the first hospital in the greater Lake Norman area to offer brachytherapy, a remarkably effective treatment for prostate cancer and an alternative to more invasive surgeries.
  • Peace River Regional Medical Center developed a comprehensive sports program for its Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Center.
  • Sebastian River Medical Center established a diabetes self-management program last year. It provides education, monitoring and custom-tailored physical exercise programs for each participant.